Queenie

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She was very inconsistent: sometimes she was bold, sometimes she was meek, or rude, or selfish, or selfless… I feel like Wilson wasn’t entirely sure who her character was, and made a mis-mash of her depending on the situation. I didn’t feel like I truly knew Elsie.

We are transported to England in the 1950’s, only a few short months before Queen Elizabeth’s II coronation. Flood, Alison (3 March 2020). "Women's prize for fiction lines up 'heavy hitters' on 2020 longlist". The Guardian. I love this book and all, and I understand why it's people's favorite JW books, but this one isn't mine. Jacqueline Wilson wrote her first novel when she was nine years old, and she has been writing ever since. She is now one of Britain's bestselling and most beloved children's authors. She has written over 100 books and is the creator of characters such as Tracy Beaker and Hetty Feather. More than forty million copies of her books have been sold. Elsie has a fantastic imagination, although to the extent that she fibs about things at school, and once to her nan. Her ability can make even the smallest things (like the kittens design on a satin covered chocolate box) seem real. She often uses this to her advantage with her mother, fudging things to get out of trouble, reasonably enough, as her mother gets angry at her more than is deemed necessary. She loves cats.

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I enjoyed this book so much, it was such a lovely, heartwarming and heartbreaking read, that I found myself really absorbed in, eager to find out what would happen next in each chapter, being an ultimately moving, gripping read, which is the best kind of read you can have!

Jacqueline Wilson wrote her first novel when she was nine years old, and she has been writing ever since. She is now one of Britain’s bestselling and most beloved children’s authors. She has written over 100 books and is the creator of characters such as Tracy Beaker and Hetty Feather. More than forty million copies of her books have been sold. Recently, I had a itching need to buy and read Jacqueline Wilson books—something I hadn’t done in years and years—as she was my favourite author when I was younger, with her stories meaning so much to me. Hampson, Laura (27 November 2019). "The Costa Book Awards shortlist for 2019 has been announced". Evening Standard. My youngest is always begging me to read more of her recommendations, and while I try to comply - and often read at least one a month - she's never satisfied. As a result, she's taken to reading them to me at every opportunity. Amazing, touching book! One of the things I liked most about 'Queenie' when I was younger is the detailed description, particularly the stories Elsie tells to the other children in hospital, based on Enid Blyton's Faraway Tree. And, just as it did then, the book swept me in and I could scarcely put it down.Finally, Elsie is well enough to leave hospital. But before she does, she has one very special, very unexpected visitor... Today she's reading me Queenie - her new favourite Jacqueline Wilson - and, is often the case with Wilson, it's full of uncomfortable social situations, complicated family setups and less than amiable adults ...no wonder her work has got such a following, with young readers desperate for authentic stories, outside of idealised 2.4 conventions. Jacqueline is one of the nation’s favourite authors, and her books are loved and cherished by young readers not only in the UK but all over the world. She has sold millions of books and in the UK alone the total now stands at over 35 million! Queenie by Jacqueline Wilson was a true delight to read in many ways. This amazing novel is very hooking and will capture the reader from cover to cover.

The secondary characters made this book for me, much more than the main character. Elsie was well-written but she grated on my nerves sometimes. I think there's a limit to the number of Jacqueline Wilson books you can read and still enjoy the imaginative strong-willed girls she writes in, and after a while some of them become more selfish and annoying than whimsical. Her Mum was, in my opinion unredeemable for running off to Canada with her boss/boyfriend and leaving Elsie to go to foster care (after saying earlier in the book she wouldn’t want that to happen again, as it’s mentioned this was the case when Elsie was very little). One of my favourite comfort reads as a child! The beginning does a great job of introducing Elsie as an imaginative, lonely young girl that adores her nan and has a complicated relationship with her mother. The writing is straightforward, as is the plot, and effectively captures the mind of a 9-year-old. Queenie is a very good book especially if you like cats. The main character is Queenie who is the cat at Blyton ward where Elsie, the second main character, goes to get her tuberculosis fixed. She goes to a hospital called Miltree Orthopaedic Hospital and her best friend there is a boy called Angus. Queenie helps Elsie settle into the hospital when she first arrives because she has been separated from her adored nan. Then tragedy strikes. Nan and Elsie both fall ill with tuberculosis, and Elsie finds herself whisked away to the children's ward of the hospital. Confined to bed for months on end, Elsie finds it very hard to adapt to the hospital's strict regime. But she invents astonishing ways of entertaining the other children on the ward, and for the first time finds herself surrounded by true friends -- including Queenie, the hospital's majestic white cat.

However, when Elsie got to the hospital, that was when my interest dropped. I loved Queenie the cat—so adorable!—but I was not fussed on any of the other children on the ward. It did get very repetitive, and I know this was because she was bed-ridden, but I think Wilson could have really made it more engaging. It was disappointing that Elsie didn’t make any true friends there, I feel that would have added some much needed development.

She is lonely there and struggles to make friends, but there is someone she truly cares about… Queenie, the ward’s cat! Voi kun meillä olisi enemmän tällaisia ongelma-kirjailijoita, jotka kirjoittaa kuitenkin lämmöllä ja rohkeudella. Onneksi on muutama!

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Queenie is a heartwarming tale about Elsie Kettle, a girl in 1953, who desperately wants to see the Queen's Coronation. She lives with her Nan in a little but cosy basement flat. When her Nan gets very poorly, Elsie's life is turned upside down. Her Mum comes to look after her but when Elsie gets ill, she is taken away from everything she ever knew. Now she will have to make new friends and this leads to a friendship with a majestic white cat called Queenie but will Ever ever be reunited with her Nan? Double Act won the prestigious Smarties Medal and the Children’s Book Award as well as being highly commended for the Carnegie Medal. The Story of Tracy Beaker won the 2002 Blue Peter People’s Choice Award. It's 1953, the year Elizabeth is to be crowned Queen of England. Elsie Kettle can't wait to go to London with her beloved nan to see the Coronation Day celebrations. Then tragedy strikes. Nan and Elsie both fall ill with tuberculosis and Elsie is whisked away to the children's ward of Miltree Hospital. Confined to bed for months, Elsie misses Nan desperately, and struggles to adapt to the hospital's strict rules. But every night after lights-out she tells magical tales of adventure to the other children on the ward. For the first time, Elsie finds herself surrounded by true friends - including Queenie, the hospital's majestic white cat. A really lovely book, which is readable by adults also. I liked the descriptive nature of how the author described Elsie's and Nan's illness and life in the Children's Hospital and also the references to the British Royal Family. A cute and touching book. Jacqueline is also a great reader, and has amassed over 20,000 books, along with her famous collection of silver rings.